Bruins sweep up at tourney
No. 14 Broadneck makes coach White’s final Public/Private Challenge a satisfying one
If Broadneck boys lacrosse coach Clay White has his way, his final year coaching the Bruins will end with a state championship.
Regardless of what happens over the next month, White will have a fond memory of his final Public/Private Challenge.
After defeating Severn on Thursday to open the tournament, No. 14 Broadneck scored the game’s first two goals and never trailed on their way to a 9-7 victory over No. 10 Archbishop Spalding on Saturday at Severn School.
Keegan Houser led the Bruins with four goals while Vinny Facciponti won 15 faceoffs and goalie Ben McGrady (eight saves) made a pair of key saves in the final minutes.
“It was a gut-check in both games,” said White, who has announced this season will be his last. “Vinny Facciponti was a difference-maker today.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Bruins scored twice in a span of a minute to take the lead midway through the second quarter. Bubba Bowen opened the scoring when he went behind the back from in close to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Casey Domanski went high to score a minute later to make it 2-0, then after Spalding’s Matt Nolan cut the lead in half two minutes later, Houser scored his first goal in the final minute.
Broadneck (8-1) had a 4-2 lead at the half, but Houser scored again early in the third to push the lead to 5-2. His third and fourth goals came 37 seconds apart midway through the fourth, including his final goal on the extra-man that gave the Bruins a 7-4 lead with 8:12 left in the game.
“We came off a really bad loss (to Severna Park on April 12), so we really wanted to build our confidence back up,” said Houser, who had two goals in Thursday’s victory over Severn. “This helped us a lot, and we’re going to try to keep it going the rest of the season.”
Brendan Kennedy finished with three assists, including two in the first half, and Hayden Gourley, Parker Griffey and Facciponti added goals for the Bruins, who fill face St. Mary’s-Ryken on Tuesday before meeting South River on Friday.
Facciponti’s goal came in the final seconds after he won the most important faceoff of the game because the Cavaliers had pulled within a goal.
“He’s the reason we won the game,” Houser said. “Without his possessions, we would never be able to hang with teams like this.”
Following the win, White was especially pleased with the play of his young defense, including Sebastian Radovic and sophomores Suri Phillips and Zach Ray.
“I’m really proud of our defense,” White said. “We have two sophomores who start and a senior who’s never played defense before.”
Josh Tang and Michael Weisshaar both scored two goals while Nolan, Will Sherwood and Race Ripley each added goals for Spalding, which defeated Severna Park on Thursday.
Archbishop Spalding (6-6) gets back to Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference play on Tuesday against St. Paul’s.
Saturday’s game was the first, and likely last, time Cavaliers’ coach Brian Phipps coached against White.
“He’s a legend in Anne Arundel County,” Phipps said. “I grew up here and played here so I know all about him. It was an honor to play against him and coach against him.”
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